Reporting verbs are verbs we use when we report what someone else said, thought, or felt, instead of quoting them directly. They’re essential for reported speech, but many are also used in formal writing (e.g. essays, news articles, or academic reports). Do you know any of these verbs? Test yourself here:
Was this too hard? Study the article below and do the exercises at the bottom of them page.
Reporting Verbs Table
| Pattern | Verbs | Example (reported sentence only) |
|---|---|---|
| + that clause | admit, agree, announce, answer, argue, claim, complain, confess, confirm, consider, deny, estimate, explain, insist, mention, observe, promise, reveal, say, think, warn | She confirmed that it was her wallet. |
| + infinitive | agree, claim, decide, expect, hope, offer, promise, refuse, swear, threaten | He promised to give me the money back. |
| + object + infinitive | advise, ask, beg, convince, encourage, forbid, instruct, invite, order, persuade, remind, teach, tell, warn | She advised me not to take that road. |
| + gerund | admit, deny, recommend, regret, suggest | He denied taking my books. |
| + preposition + gerund | apologize for, complain about, concur with, confess to, disagree with, insist on, object to | He apologized for taking my books. |
| + object + preposition + gerund | accuse of, advise against, blame for, congratulate on/for, criticize for, forgive for, praise for, punish for, stop from, tell about, thank for, warn against | He thanked me for helping her with the cooking. |
When Reported Speech rules are not necessary
Traditional tense shifts happen most often with verbs like “say” or “tell” in statements:
- Direct: “I am tired.”
- Reported: She said she was tired. (tense shift: am → was)
But with some reporting verbs, we don’t need tense change, or use different structures entirely (like infinitives, gerunds, etc.)
Examples of Reporting Verbs That Don’t need Tense change
| Reporting Verb | Structure | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| advise | + object + to verb | She advised me to rest. | No tense shift, just infinitive. |
| suggest | + -ing / subjunctive | He suggested leaving early. | -ing, not “he was leaving.” |
| promise | + to verb | They promised to help. | Infinitive, no change of tense. |
| deny | + -ing | She denied cheating. | Gerund form, not reported speech. |
| ask | + if / question word | He asked if I could come. | Modal might shift, but not always. |
Reporting Verbs Exercises
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